Third Battle of Coruscant
The Third Battle of Coruscant was the final step in Emperor Bacharan Valak's offensive of 9 ABY. The battle was fought over the period of over one month, and began with the arrival of the Imperial Navy, spearheaded by the [[SSD Palpatine|HIMS Palpatine]] and Vice Admiral Airion Cimber. It should be noted that while the third Death Star was in operation, it was not used in this battle. Coruscant was protected by a planetary shield of significant strength and a number of redundant shield emitters. As such the first step in the battle was to take down the planetary shield. To accomplish this, Captain Zeak Oppenhiemer (a Naval officer) proposed a plan to strike all of the known shield stations with lightly armored commando teams simultaneously. Vice Admiral Cimber concurred and gave Oppenhiemer the order to begin the plan's implementation. Smuggling the units and equipment onto Coruscant took months, as did setting up the private communications network which was needed to accomplish this. Oppenhiemer took charge of this task personally from a covert forward position on Coruscant. He retained command of this portion of the mission, coordinating the attacks and even personally participating in the attack on one of the shield generators. The attack caught the Republic by surprise and was successful in bringing down enough generators to render the planetary network defunct. Of potential historical note is that Bazil McKenzie suffered his severe injuries defending the very shield station Oppenhiemer personally participated in attacking. As the success on the ground became clear, Oppenhiemer sent word to the Imperial Fleet which executed a micro-jump into the heart of the system and engaged the New Republic fleet. The conflict which ensued was one of the more intense conflicts of the Galactic Civil War, taking thousands of lives and hundreds of capital ships. The Imperial fleet, however, proved too overpowering for the Republic defense fleet, and the Republic Navy was routed. The absence of the Republic fleet, and the swiftness of the Imperial victory in space, took many citizens on Coruscant and the New Republic by surprise; as a result, the New Republic Senate and the ground forces on the planet became trapped, and citizens trying to flee were stopped by the Imperial fleet. A blockade of the planet was initiated, and many attempted to run the blockade, but most ended in disaster. The blockade was in place for an entire month, with Imperial bombers running daily bombing missions on key, strategic Republic targets across the planet, with the heaviest concentration of bombing around the Republic military headquarters and the Imperial Palace itself. The defense of Coruscant fell into the hands of General Skeezix, and Republic troops dug themselves in, preparing for the worst. After a month of intense bombing and preparations, the Imperial Army and Stormtroopers deployed to Coruscant. The military headquarters was the first target to be seized, and from there the Imperials moved out, seizing key areas across the planet as they moved in on their primary target: the Imperial Palace, where the New Republic senators and the President himself, Woren Isaal, were trapped. The Imperial Palace was defended by the last remnants of the Republic troops, thousands of Marines and infantry, backed up by artillery and tanks, prepared for the incoming Imperial onslaught, ready to defend the Senators and the President to the end. The Jedi Simon Sezirok arrived at the Imperial Palace shortly before the Imperial assault began, and lent his hand in defending the Palace. The Imperials attacked at noon, with the AT-ATs and AT-STs leading the assault. Imperial troops charged in from the ground and from the air, assaulting the trenches dug by Republic troops. Morganna Tazecks led her own team of Imperial troops into the battle, and confronted Simon in the Palace as the AT-ATs punched a hole in the defensive lines; assault speeders and Imperial troops charged in, wreaking havoc as the Republicans fell to their last line of defense. As Morganna and Simon locked each other in a heated lightsaber duel, the Imperial troops broke through the last Republic line and seized the main Plaza. Regrouping, the Imperials spread out, aiming to take the last piece of the Palace: the Emperor's Throne Room atop the Palace, where Woren Isaal and the Republic Senators were awaiting the inevitable. The battle in the Throne Room was short; Republic troops had more or less been routed. Stormtroopers seized Isaal and confined the Senators, and soon Vice Admiral Airion Cimber visited the Throne Room to pay his "respects" to Isaal. Simon and Morganna fought their way into the Throne Room, where Morganna eventually subdued Simon, and the Imperial troops confined him and prepared him for his transfer to the Palpatine, as a gift for Emperor Valak. The Third Battle of Coruscant was over, and Coruscant was once again back into Imperial hands, after five years of Republic control. As Sezirok was filed out of the Throne Room and the battle was calming down, the young Captain Zeak Oppenhiemer stepped out to the balcony atop the Palace and took down the flag of the Republic. Behind him stood a quickly put together band. Zeak unfolded the Imperial ensign, and as he began to raise it above the balcony, to the awe of Imperial troops down below and in the Palace, the band began to play the Imperial March. Aftermath The battle was a critical blow to the waning New Republic. Its president was dead, its senate in the hands of the Empire, and its own senators were either killed, captured or had fled. The remnants of the Republic fled Chandrila, where a provisonal council was established to salvage what they could from the situation. Chandrila became the new capital of the Republic, and Leia Organa Solo took charge. While a devastating blow, the Republic would eventually recuperate and strike back many months later, at the Third Battle of Sluis Van. Coruscant, 3rd Battle of